Slovenia has registered 3,041 new COVID cases out of 15,105 tests conducted for coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the health authorities reported on Thursday.

Over the last two weeks, there has been a rise in new cases, however, hospitalisation numbers have been falling.

There are 136 hospitalised patients in the country and 49 are in intensive care while another three patients have died as a consequence, Slovenia’s Ministry of Health reported.

The number of hospitalised patients fell by 17 as against Wednesday,  six fewer in intensive care units.

Epidemiologists have attributed the increase in new cases to the relaxation of restrictions and to appearance of a more contagious B2 variant of coronavirus, Slovenia’s media outlets have reported.

According to data from the National Institute for Public Health, in the past 24 hours the number of active cases increased by 1,203 to 29,868.

The seven-day average of confirmed cases is 2,361 which is 107 more than on Wednesday while the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population has increased by 57 to 1,408 cases.